The HDB flats that cost over a million dollars!

How can public housing cost so much? It’s just unbelievable…

During the seven-day mourning period leading up to the state funeral of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the media broadcast recollections of Mr Lee’s achievements and contributions to Singapore. One of these contributions was the development of The Pinnacle@Duxton at Cantonment Road.

It’s said that Mr Lee had always wished to build the ideal living space in his constituency. Thus The Pinnacle@Duxton was designed and built under Mr Lee’s initiative, with construction completed in 2009. Among many firsts, the flats here also set a record for sky-high sales prices. This was probably something Mr Lee predicted and wanted!

What are the factors that make The Pinnacle@Duxton’s flats so desirable and expensive? Is it the excellent location in the heart of the city – so close to the Central Business District – or is it the modern architecture? Maybe, just maybe, it’s the great feng shui? Let’s put on our “feng shui glasses” again and see what’s so special about The Pinnacle@Duxton!

Once, at a feng shui sharing session, Grand Master Tan Khoon Yong earnestly declared: “Analysing a piece of land is like analysing a person’s fate: first look at its form, then its features, and finally its qi!” Indeed, one should look at the shape of the area, then its features, and finally decide if the features fit the area’s qi.

In general, The Pinnacle@Duxton sits on a rectangular plot of land that defines and restricts the design of the flats. The resulting linear cluster follows the principle of “going from north to south”, creating units that face east and west. Here, all units get an unrestricted view but the drawback is that they also catch the morning or evening sun.

Now that we understand the landform of The Pinnacle@Duxton, let’s look at its physical features. The estate comprises 7 tall blocks; some have pointed out that the cluster of buildings looks like a sickle, connoting harvests. Others say it looks like a traditional bamboo scroll, which connotes education. We do see these resemblances too, but in this case, The Pinnacle@Duxton also looks like a question mark. How apt given the many possibilities here! Maybe the architects meant to keep us guessing…

In such situations, it’s best to consult the experts – like Grand Master Tan Khoon Yong! In his typical manner, we were only given the clues: “What shows in the sky, shapes the land and changes man. Look to the stars!”

What shows in the sky, shapes the land…could this refer to the Big Dipper constellation? True enough, the Big Dipper is made up of 7 stars, forming the shape of a ladle, and is often used for navigation or identifying other constellations. Coincidentally, The Pinnacle@Duxton’s 7 blocks of flats also look like the Big Dipper!

Now that we had the correct answer, Grand Master Tan went on to explain: “The Big Dipper is a formation representing prosperity; Singapore’s Orchard Road also naturally conforms to the “Seven Falling Stars” formation and has given rise to top business talents! The design of Marina Bay Sands was also based on the seven stars, creating a “Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon” formation and spurring economic activity. The “Seven Stars in a Chain” formation at The Pinnacle@Duxton is also gradually revealing its power, boosting the prices of the flats there!”

“Wow, having a copy of the Big Dipper here on Singapore…that’s beautiful! So, Grand Master, did you also contribute to the feng shui design of this project? Which other developments do you think have good development potential? Let us invest in them…”

Before I could finish my question, the Grand Master had already taken his leave…